


An Unexpected Visitor

by Rumbellelives



Series: Rumbelle 2K Prompt-a-thon [3]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Colette is a protective mother, F/M, Rumbelle - Freeform, Rumple meets Colette, Sad, Underworld (Once Upon a Time), at least I think so, rumple is awkward, sassy belle, trying to be impressive
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-28
Updated: 2016-05-28
Packaged: 2018-07-10 16:43:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6996262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rumbellelives/pseuds/Rumbellelives
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“My name is Colette. I’m Belle’s mother.”</p>
<p>Rumple is trying to figure out how to protect his unborn child when an unexpected visitor pays him a visit.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Unexpected Visitor

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! This is for my 2k prompt-a-thin on tumblr. This was prompted by rebelside and the prompt was “Rumple meets Colette”. I had a lot of fun writing this lovely prompt and I hope that you enjoy it! 
> 
> This story is set in season 5 when they visit the underworld. This is before Belle gets put in the sleeping curse but after she arrives in the underworld. (Please note, I tried to get Belle’s sassier season 5 tone… don’t be mad at her for overreacting please… XD)

An Unexpected Visitor 

_ He is going to be a father again!  _

This is the thought that is running constantly through his head as he goes about his day. Each time he remembers, a warm feeling flutters in his chest that makes him feel happier than he has in a long time, happier than he has since Bae passed away. 

But behind this happiness is reality. Behind the warmth is a cold and overwhelming fear that consumes his heart, makes his skin clammy and his chest ache. 

_ He is going to be a father again, but his child will be taken away from him.  _

_ He’s going to fail again.  _

He sits in his shop with his head in his hands, trying to wrap his brain around everything that has happened. 

Belle is in the underworld now. She’s pregnant. She knows he is the Dark One again. 

He wishes that he could do something to make her understand why he has to do this, why he has to do everything in his power to protect his child at all costs. 

_ He can’t go through that loss again.  _

The bell to the shop rings and he looks up, his heart leaping as he expects to see Belle. To his surprise, it is not Belle who walks into the room, but another woman. She is an older woman with curly brown hair and brown eyes. When she sees him, she smiles and Rumple is reminded of Belle. 

“I was told I could find Belle here,” the woman says. She is looking at him warily. 

“She’s not here,” Rumple says. He can't keep the slight bitterness out of his voice. 

“You’re Rumplestiltskin.” She is not asking a question, which leads Rumple to believe she knows exactly who he is. 

“I am,” he responds. “Now if you wouldn’t mind, I have to save my family.”

He turns away from her, pretending to busy himself with some papers so that the woman will leave. But he doesn’t hear the sound of the front door opening. He turns to tell her to go, but before he can open his mouth to do so, she speaks. 

“My name is Colette. I’m Belle’s mother.”

The papers in his hand scatter to the floor. He doesn’t move to pick them up, staring at the woman in front of him. _Belle’s mother._

“I… I didn’t… I’m…” 

There isn’t a lot that can make him speechless. Usually in a crisis, Rumple has a silver tongue, able to talk his way out of even the most dangerous of situations. He is a master dealmaker and manipulator. 

However, now his mouth wont seem to work at this moment and all he can do is stand there gawking. 

Colette grins at him, and now he can see the clear resemblance between her and his sweet Belle. “Don’t be so alarmed. I know who you are.”

“That doesn’t comfort me in the slightest,” Rumple responds finally. He leaves the papers on the ground, stepping over them and around the shop’s desk to stand in front of Colette. “I’m married to your daughter.”

Colette nods. “I told you I knew who you are. I also know that you are the Dark One. The blonde woman I was talking to told me not to trust you.”

“Emma.” He clenches his fist. He wonders what else the savior had told Colette. 

Colette’s gaze is fierce and now Rumple can see exactly where Belle got her fiery side. Suddenly, he wishes that he had met this woman when she was still alive. He would have loved to get to know her outside of all of this drama and pain. 

Well, he would have like a lot of things to go differently in his life. But here he was, the Dark One in the Underworld, trying to win back the rights to his unborn child. 

“I promise I wont hurt her. I love her,” he says. He can barely hear himself over the sound of his beating heart. His voice breathy. 

“I know you aren’t like they say. I know you aren't a complete monster,” Colette says. “But that doesn’t mean I can trust you.”

He nods again. “That’s fine.”

He's used to not being trusted by now. 

They stand in silence for what feels like an eternity. Rumple briefly wonders if time works differently in this realm. There are often moments where it seems to crawl by like a snail, seconds seemingly turning into hours.

Colette is still studying him. 

“Belle isn’t here and wont be for a little while…” He says. “Unfortunately, she is less than pleased with me right now.”

“And are you doing anything about that?” she asks.

“I’m trying,” he responds. “But I’m afraid I can never be the man she wants me to be.”

Colette tucks a strand of brown hair back behind her ear and comes closer. Rumple takes a step back in alarm, his hand going up to block her. She simply picks the papers up off the floor and places them back on the top of the front desk.

The door bell jingles merrily, a gust of wind welcoming in Belle. Rumple turns immediately from Colette, taking a step forwards. 

“Belle!” 

The woman stops in her tracks, her hand going to her mouth when she sees Colette, standing next to her husband. 

“Rumple how dare you bring my mother into this! You can’t use her as leverage to win me back!” she snaps, turning to him. The rage in her eyes makes him take a step back. 

“Belle… I swear… I…” He holds up his hands, palms open and facing outwards. 

“Belle!” Colette’s voice makes her daughter stop. 

“Mother.” Belle’s voice cracks with tears. 

Colette steps forwards, wrapping Belle in a hug. She presses her lips to the top of Belle’s head, gently stroking her fingers through her daughters hair. She has grown so much over the years. 

“This man has nothing to do with the reason that I am here. I came here to find you…” Colette says. The hardness in her tone softens just a little at the sight of the tears in her daughters eyes. “I heard rumors that you were here and I had to find you.”

“Am… Am I your unfinished business?” Belle asks. 

Rumple turns to leave the room, feeling as if he is intruding upon something. This is not a moment for him to watch. This is their time to talk, their time to reunite after so long from being apart. 

“Don’t go,” Colette says. He stops with his hand on the doorknob. 

They stand there in the middle of the shop, each unsure of what to say. Finally, Colette breaks the silence. 

“You’re my unfinished business, Belle. I have always wished that I could see you one last time before I moved on… and so that’s why I’ve come to find you,” Colette says. 

“I… I’ve missed you so much,” Belle answers. She turns to Rumple now, her beautiful blue eyes still glistening with tears. “I’m sorry I accused you of using her… I just got scared and… and… there’s no excuse for it but I am sorry.”

Rumple shakes his head. “No no no, don’t apologize. It’s alright, sweetheart.”

Colette looks over at him, nodding to herself. At first she had ben worried about her daughter being married to the Dark One, but seeing them standing there side by side made a little of that worry bleed away. It is so obvious that Rumple loves her, from the longing in his eyes, to the way he stands there facing Belle as if she is the only thing that matters in the entire room. 

_He may not be a "good" man_ , Colette thinks to herself. _But there was no way he would ever let anything happen to Belle._ And that gave the older woman some comfort. 

XXX

They stand together at the bridge. The heat from the lava below makes sweat gather on Rumple’s forehead. He brushes it away. Belle and Colette are holding hands, standing at the edge of the bridge, eyes looking forwards. 

Rumple smiles at the pair, feeling that same longing he felt before, that desire for a life that wasn’t his own. If only things had been different. 

“It’s time for me to go now, Belle… I’m only sorry that we couldn’t talk for longer,” Colette says.

Colette smiles at him. “I’m trusting you with her, Rumple. I can’t say I’ve grown to like you yet… because we just met. But I know now that you are willing to do anything for her. And that is all I can ask of you.”

“I would defend her with my life,” Rumple responds. His voice is firm and unwavering. 

“Thank you for that,” she says. Her hand slips from Belle’s, their fingers pulling apart slowly and reluctantly. Colette steps forwards over the bridge. White light glows brightly around her and she turns to look back one more time. 

Rumple thinks she looks like an angel. 

“I love you Belle!”

With that, she is gone. 

Belle sobs, and all he can do is hold her until her tears run dry.


End file.
